Canastota bowling coach Eric Van Slyke pulling double duty

ILION -- Eric Van Slyke did not have the best seat in the house for Thursday's bowling match between his Canastota teams and Ilion. Then again, the veteran coach can't afford to sit still since he has to coach the boys and girls this winter after 13 years of coaching just the boys. Nor would he want to.

"This is my 29th year bowling - I started when I was 11," Van Slyke said at State Bowling Center as his inexperienced squad battle a similar foe. "I don't (even) sit down for my games."

"Way to go, Robert. That's a tough one to pick up because of the sleeper."

"You've got to slow your feet down. You're going a little too fast."

"Nice ball. Nice job ladies!"

"Give me seven...seven...six. We'll take six."

"Remember straight back, straight through."

"Good try, Wyatt. That's one of your best games."

Van Slyke positioned himself on a line with the posts that separate lanes 14 and 15 at the Ilion facility. It was the best he could do to see all his players, the girls on the right and boys on the left.

Canastota parents take notice when he does and appreciate Van Slyke's effort.

"We watch them, he corrects them," Dave Kirik, father of Jason Kirik, the boys team's top bowler, said. "And the girls team he's given them direction."

Van Slyke is well qualified to. He rolled his sixth 300 game in October and he has as many 800-plus series with an 846 being his best. Girls team member Keri Whitmeyer adjusted to her new coach quickly.

"It's different, but it's nice," the Canastota junior said after rolling a 150 in her first game Thursday. "We already knew him because we'd been around him. I like it."

The teams haven't liked all their results as they entered Thursday's match a combined 2-17. But many are first-year bowlers and a losing mark was expected.

The losses don't bother Van Slyke that much either. Like all good coaches, he does what he can with the amount of experience his athletes have.